Startling Beginnings

Chapter 1

Meta Knight walked back to the kingdom of Abeline, carrying Baby Kirby in his arms. His eyes were still gray with sorrow as he was too late to save the child's mother from death. The Star Warrior didn't expect for his old friend to die at all, especially since the baby Puffal was only a week old. In the distance, Meta Knight saw Cadence who was walking up to them.

"Meta Knight! Thank NOVA I found you!" She looked down and saw Baby Kirby in his arms. "Why's Kirby with you?"

The masked Puffal let out a sigh and answered the queen's question. "Rosaline...is dead."

Cadence gasped. "Dead?! What happened?!"

"A demonbeast killed her. I was lucky to defeat him before he could attempt to slaughter Kirby."

"Oh...I'm sorry..."

"It's fine." Meta Knight replied. "But I guess we have to raise Kirby for the time being."

"Well, let's take him to the castle. I have a nursery room in there that used to be Petal's when she was a kitten."

With that, they walked back to Abeline and went into the castle. They went to the nursery and put the infant on the carpet. Baby Kirby was confused with his new surroundings as the adults watched him. Suddenly, he heard his stomach growl, his lips started to quiver and then he became fussy and started to cry.

"Oh, it seems he's hungry." Cadence said. "Meta Knight, can you watch him while I make a bottle of milk?"

"Of course." he replied, obeying the queen's command.

Queen Cadence left the nursery to make a bottle for the baby. A few minutes later, she came back. She picked up Baby Kirby and walked over to the rocking chair and fed him the bottle. When she was done she picked up the Puffal and patted his back gently until he let out a small burp.

"There. All better?"

Kirby giggled in reponse as he tried to say something. "P-Po...Poy-Poy...Poyo!"

Meta Knight's eyes turned white with shock. Kirby was now speaking poyo language, at a very early age! "Amazing! Kirby's now speaking poyo dialect, and at a week old too!"

"How old does a Puffal have to be, in order for them to say 'poyo' for the first time?" the queen wondered.

"Well, most Puffals are six months old when that happens." he answered. "Kirby's developing faster than I was, when I was an infant, I started speaking poyo dialect at six weeks."

Cadence looked at the pink baby for a bit. "Hmm." She then looked back at Meta Knight. "If Kirby can say 'poyo', why don't teach him how to say words."

"A fine idea, Cadence. Put him on the floor."

The queen obeyed and set Kirby on the floor. He stared at Meta Knight in curiosity, amazed at how colossal he was from his perspective. The two grown-ups in the room looked like giants to the baby his size when he was on the ground, it was like as if he was a tiny ant being admired by its queen. He then snapped out of thought of how large everything was around him when the Puffal knight spoke.

"OK, OK. Can you say, 'Galaxia'?" he commanded calmly.

Kirby was silent at first, trying to get the word that Meta Knight wanted him to say in his head. It sounded hard to say to the infant, perfectly at least. But regardless he tried to pronounce it. "Gee...Gee...Geeshia?"

Meta Knight was amazed. The child pronounced it pretty good for his age. It seems that he can says words...kind of. "Not bad." he praised.

"It seems that Kirby's is trying to speak, Meta. Try another one." Cadence observed.

Meta Knight answered with a nod and tried another word for the newborn to say. "How about, 'Meta Knight'." he suggested. "Can you say that?"

The baby had a bit of an astonished look on his face. A word like that seemed long and hard to pronounce for him, let alone he wasn't even sure if he would say it correctly. Regardless, Kirby tried his very best to say the old Star Warrior's name. "Mmmm...Ma-meh? Mmmm..." But he just couldn't say it; it was too difficult to him. He made a gloomy and distressed look on his face, thinking that he let the navy blue Puffal down.

"No good huh?" he asked. "Don't worry, we'll work on it."

Kirby's face perked up and he made a sweet smile and nodded.

Cadence smiled too. It had only been almost an hour and Kirby was now developing so fast like as if the years were passing by fast as lightning. Suddenly, Kirby was trying to say something.

"Pa-Poy-Po-Poy-Pa..."

"Huh? What are you trying to say now?" The feline wondered.

"Papa!" he finally said.

Meta Knight's eyes turned to orange in embarrassment and he managed to blush behind his mask. "Oh no...!" he muttered.

"What do you mean 'oh no'?!" Cadence inquired with surprise. "Kirby called you 'Papa'! He thinks you're his father, Meta Knight!"

"It's just...I've never been called 'Papa' before. And it sounds very shocking for Kirby to call me that, even though I'm not his Papa for real." The Star Warrior answered sheepishly.

Cadence smiled in response as Kirby looked at her with a cute smile, he them tried to say something else one again.

"Ma-Ma-Mam...Mama!"

The pink feline was speechless at first, but then tears dwelled up in her eyes as she smiled. Kirby called her his mother! But Kirby's mom is Rosaline, not her. Why would he call her his mom, when his real mom is Rosaline? Shaking the pondering out of her mind, she giggled in response and picked the little Puffal up. She then looked at Meta Knight. "Meta Knight, that reminds me. Before I forget, can you and some of the guards patrol around the borders?" she demanded. "If a demonbeast had killed Rosaline, than that means they might be going for Kirby."

"Understood. I'll do whatever I can to keep Rosaline's son safe." And Meta Knight left the room.

Kirby laid his 'head' down on Cadence's chest, eyes growing heavy and feeling groggily. He let out a small yawn as he rubbed his eyes.

"Oh, you must be tired, little one." Cadence commented, as the infant nodded. "Here, how about I sing you a lullaby, sweetie."

With Kirby in her paws, the queen walked over to a rocking chair and sat down and started to rock the baby and started to sing. Her humming sounded like an angel being sent from heaven.

The child's eyes grew heavier as he felt the feline's warm fur brushing against his skin and curled himself up like he was a frightened pillbug. When the lullaby ended, Kirby felt himself sank into the realm of sleep.

Cadence walked over to the crib and tucked him in. She managed to kiss Kirby on the forehead and smiled. She then looked at her necklace wrapped around her neck and stared at the heart shaped jewel that had fancy spirals on the inside, then she looked back at the sleeping boy, and back at the pendant. 'Maybe, you'll meet him sooner or later.' she thought. Cadence padded over to the dresser by the door and took the necklace off and sat it down. She turned off the lights with the nightlight turned on and closed the door.

The pendant glowed a small light and whispered. 'Maybe I will, Cadence.'